Party keeps Independent dry as before (5)
I believe the answer is:
ditto
'as before' is the definition.
(ditto means the same as previously mentioned)
'party keeps independent dry' is the wordplay.
'party' becomes 'do' (do is a kind of party).
'keeps' is an insertion indicator.
'independent' becomes 'i'.
'dry' becomes 'tt' (abbreviation for teetotal).
'i'+'tt'='itt'
'do' placed around 'itt' is 'DITTO'.
(Other definitions for ditto that I've seen before include "Same again, indicated by two dots" , "The same thing" , "Repeat the word above" , "Dot it for the same again" , "Repeat the word(s) above" .)